The smoking rim of Masaya Volcano
Bit of a dramatic one this, taken at the summit of Masaya volcano in Nicaragua. That cloud isn’t a handy prop to set the mood, it’s actually smoke rising from the crater itself – the sky was a clear blue behind me.
Even without the spectral presence of the cross looming over the crater, the knowledge that you are standing right next to the gaping mouth of an active volcano does add a certain frisson to proceedings.
Despite being one of the country’s shortest volcanoes at a little over 630 metres, Masaya is also one of the most active. Back in 1993, a lava lake filled the base of the central caldera and it is still possible to glimpse the orange glow between the billowing clouds of smoke.
Occasional eruptions aside, Masaya’s history is also steeped in drama of a different kind. The Spanish, never shy of an evocative turn-of-phrase, believed it to be a place of evil and dubbed it “La Boca del Infierno”, or “The Mouth of Hell”.
They were responsible for erecting the first cross on the lip of the crater where the current one stands, to exorcise the Devil from the fiery depths below.
Indigenous people before them were a little more creative, dropping unfortunate virgin girls into the volcano to appease the evil spirits within.
Years later, this method also proved popular with President Somoza, who – according to my guide – used it less as a form of religious mollification and more as a convenient way of disposing of political nuisances.
With all this mythology it is easy to forget what Masaya actually is: an awesome natural phenomenon. Peering into the smoky depths is undeniably eerie, but also incredibly thrilling.
Some of the locals at least have made peace with the demonic volcano: arrive in the late afternoon and you can see pairs of small green parrots returning to their nests inside the caldera. Thousands of these tiny creatures, known as chocoyos, have made their home here, impervious to the noxious fumes and inhospitable terrain. And, it seems, the evil spirits.
Find out more about Pura Aventura’s holidays to Nicaragua
Deep powder at Portillo
I love this photo. It reminds me of my days skiing at Portillo.
Portillo is a small ski resort a few hours north of Santiago de Chile. I went there in 2004 to accompany a private ski group, just to make sure that everything ran smoothly for them.
They were excellent skiers, I was a rank amateur. In fact, at that point, the last timeI have been on skis was circa 1981 on the artificial ski slope of Hillend outside Edinburgh.
As you can probably imagine, Portillo was quite a revelation to me. Partly the beauty of the setting. Partly the wonderful atmosphere of this, the oldest ski resort in South America. Partly my total lack of skill on skis.
The thing is, it didn’t really matter. Portillo’s snow is big, soft and fluffy and remarkably forgiving for those of us who like an occasional face-first lie down.
The experts skiers I was with had a lovely time skiing alongside the Austrian Olympic team. I communed with the snow. We were all happy.
Ever since visiting Portillo, I’ve been addicted to small ski resorts where I feel free to ski, no matter how unskilled and gangly I am.
See our full range of ski holidays to Chile
A surprisingly exotic looking family adventure holiday in Europe
This photo is too good to have been taken by me. This belongs to one of my colleagues Jaime Lahoz who happens to be a real photographer. This was taken last summer during one of our Pyrenees family adventure holidays which take place in the Pallars Sobira Valley.
The subject of the photo is the lower part of the Pallars River, Collegats, which is one of the most famous rafting spots in Spain. This is one of our families who have been kind enough/lucky enough to try out our family adventures in both the Picos mountains and the Pyrenees.
What I love about this photo is that it just looks so dramatic that I don’t think anyone would guess that this is relatively close to home (if you’re here in the UK). In fact it’s only 3 hours from the crush of humanity that is Barcelona.
I actually went to this particular valley for the first time this past spring. As ever, I was blown away. I’ve been going to Spain regularly for about 15 years now, for some of that time I spent more time there than in the UK. And yet, Spain still manages to suprise me pretty much every time I go.
In the case of the Pallars Valley, what amazed me was the variety. At the top of the valley is the Aigues Tortes National Park and some of the highest peaks in the Pyrenees. At the bottom of the valley is this river, great for not just rafting but also kayak, canyoning, hydrospeed and all sorts of other watersports.
One big advantage the Spanish have in terms of their landscape is that the country is pretty under-populated, outside of the main cities at least. With a population density around 1/3 or even 1/4 that of the UK, getting away from people is relatively easy. That much of Spain is mountainous and beautiful helps.
However, I personally would normally associate with remote, sparsely populated mountain areas with banjos and bad food. In Spain, nothing could be further from the truth. Here in the Pallars Valley there are some absolutely stunning places to eat, and sleep for that matter. Take Fogony – a father and daughter outfit in a small mountain town/village surrounded by beautiful mountains which is turning out exquisite cuisine.
I know I should want to explore new places but since Spain still manages to surprise and delight me, why wouldn’t I keep visiting? As long as my colleagues over in Spain (Xabi, Diego, Jaime, Alex, Peter, Tolo, Migel Angel) keep discovering and revealing new treats I think I’ll just keep going back.
In fact I’m off to the Picos in January, James is off to the Pyrenees in February…
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